Robbie Maddison rides a motorbike in the waves of Tahiti

03 August 2015 |
Surfing

Unreal. Australian stunt performer Robbie Maddison has ridden the giant waves of Teahupoo and Papara on his motorbike.

Yes, you've read it well. "Maddo" has taken his specially modified dirt bike to the giant and powerful surf of Tahiti, in the heart of French Polynesia. A motorbike in the line-up? Who could believe it?

"When I spoke about my idea, I spoke with full confidence. I'm a sincere, calculated person. When I say I'm going to do something, I have always followed through. It was like people forgot," explained Maddison.

"I felt like people were laughing at me behind my back. Even people close to me, friends, people who helped me in the beginning, thought I had lost my mind."

Robbie Maddison and his DC Shoes team spent nearly three years testing and building the "Pipe Dream." It was a secret project and no one talked about it until it was ready to go.

The stuntman had breathing training, but Tahiti is Tahiti, and you never know how will a motorbike behave in a 15-foot plus wave ride. Fortunately, "Maddo" and his crew worked closely with local legend Raimana Van Bastolaer to know more before taking unnecessary risks.